We must protect red pandas

ACCORDING to Sandra Molloy of Dublin Zoo, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has changed the “threat status” of the red panda from vulnerable to endangered.

The panda population ‘is believed to have declined by 50% in the past 18 years’, she notes in the current edition of Zoo Matters. This endearing mammal, known as the fire-fox in China on account of its red fur, “faces a myriad of threats”.

The “little” panda, though not as famous as the “giant” one, is a favourite of zoo visitors everywhere. There is no evidence that the two species are related. The larger animal is fundamentally a bear. The great French zoologist Georges Cuvier, who first described the fire-fox, placed it among the racoons; its molars are similar to theirs. DNA analysis suggests relationships with racoons and with weasels but the species is now put in a family of its own. The red panda’s ancient ancestors were found throughout the northern hemisphere but, ironically, they weren’t in China.